loss of life

idiomatic phrase

: death
… street robberies, often accompanied by cruel wounds, and not unfrequently by loss of lifeCharles Dickens
: incidences of people dying
In 1900 a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, destroying the city and killing over 6,000 persons—the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster ever recorded in the United States.David H. Hickcox

Examples of loss of life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Post Post Share Save Print Hurricanes Helene and Milton have been traumatic in many ways — the loss of lives, homes, history, and in some cases, hope. Olivia White, kanmani Chockalingam, adi Kumar, daniel Stephens, Harvard Business Review, 30 Oct. 2024 The state is still grappling with the storm’s aftereffects and searching for missing people, but the Facebook post vastly overstates the loss of life, according to North Carolina officials. Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 More sophisticated and targeted attacks on critical infrastructure now have the potential to disrupt essential services, threaten public safety, and, in some cases, cause loss of life. Robert McNutt, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 The barrage of strikes was largely shot down by Israel, with the help of the U.S. military, and did not result in any major loss of life. Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for loss of life 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loss of life was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near loss of life

Cite this Entry

“Loss of life.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loss%20of%20life. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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